Spring Masters/Juniors Scrimmage

Blustery weather on inner Quartermaster Harbor provided a challenging course for all the rowers who participated in Vashon Island Rowing Club’s 5th Annual Masters–Juniors Scrimmage on Saturday, March 3rd. The choppy, white-capped conditions caused Coach Richard Parr to shorten the course from 1500 to 900 meters.

The signature event was the final head to head race at the end of the day for the “One Guinea Pig Cup” (loosely and whimsically inspired by the history behind the creation of America’s Cup). The Cup was claimed by the Masters team at last year’s scrimmage, but this time a Juniors’ Mixed 8, stroked by Avalon Koenig and coxed by Sarah Warner, reclaimed the Cup with a convincing seven-second victory over the Masters Mixed 8.

“It was really great to see Vashon all together and in action today,” said Coach Parr. “Hopefully we can do this kind of thing more often.”

The friendly contest between the Masters and Juniors gives the teams an opportunity to ready themselves for competing in the upcoming Spring sprint season, where boats line up in lanes and sprint to the finish line over courses of 1,000 and 2,000 meters.

The first six races of the day featured quads, eights and doubles. Most were won by rowers from Vashon Island Junior Crew, a program supported by Vashon Parks District. The one exception was a women’s Masters quad, which edged out the Juniors in the closest race of the day. Four boats also competed in a “Ham ‘n Egger” event, where a Masters man and woman teams up with a Junior boy and girl. The winning boat featured the Junior brother-sister team of Ella and Liam McConnell, who teamed with two long time Master rowers.